Composite Design Engineers: F1 in Switzerland

As a specialist recruitment consultancy in the automotive sector, the team at Mane keeps a constant eye on key developments in the industry. In September 2016, one of the team discovered that a leading F1 team had gone into liquidation but had subsequently been acquired by a Russian backed company.  By tapping into its network of professionals working within the F1 arena, Mane contacted the newly acquired business to introduce its team and expertise in sourcing professionals to work on F1 projects.

As a result, Mane was invited to meet the company to present an overview of its offering and experience within the F1 arena, and discuss the team’s recruitment requirements. Following a successful trip to the organisation’s base in Zurich, Mane was awarded an initial contract to source three composite design engineers to work on the team’s newest Formula 1 car.  The challenge, however, was that these professionals needed to be sourced, interviewed, and onsite at the Zurich base within two weeks.

While Mane knew several composite design engineers through its previous work in the sector, it had to quickly establish not only whether they were looking for, or would be interested in, a new position, but also if they were able to start within such a short timescale.  While Mane quickly identified several ideal candidates that met these requirements, the challenge was the high cost of living associated with living and working in Switzerland which meant that some people were reticent to consider the role despite the lucrative rates on offer.  Mane had to quickly reassess its recruitment strategy and target a larger pool of talent. It quickly identified several engineers that had the right skills, but not as much experience as the F1 team had previously requested. 

Mane presented all five candidates to the client demonstrating their skill set and reasons why they should be considered for the position despite not meeting the prerequisite experience. Consequently, three individuals were offered initial telephone interviews, all of whom were then flown to Zurich for a face to face interview.  All candidates impressed and were hired by the company.

Two years on from the initial contract win, Mane and the F1 team continue to work together. In fact, today, Mane is the only recruitment partner the company uses and has successfully filled numerous positions, including aerodynamic design engineers and composite design engineers on both a contract and permanent basis.

Back